5.9m national cars sold, Dewan Rakyat told

2013-11-13 19:01

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- Close to 5.9 million locally-made cars have been sold between 1985 and September this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Of the total, Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton), the manufacturer of the national car, has introduced 18 models, with sales touching 3.6 million units since the company was established in 1985, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed told the august House.

Perodua, the second national car maker, has sold 2.4 million cars between 1994 and September this year, he said.

Perodua has rolled out the assembly line nine models to date, he said in his written reply to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) who wanted to know the car models produced by Proton and Perodua according to their year of production and the total sales of each model up to last month.

Among the Proton models in the market are Proton Iswara, which was introduced in 1985 and has since registered the highest sale, with 1,139,994 units, followed by Proton Wira (952,216 units), Proton Perdana (77,178 units), Proton Satria (96,765 units) and the latest model, Proton Suprima S (835 units).

The Perodua Kancil, introduced in 1994, recorded the highest sale with with 708,527 units, followed by Perodua Myvi (703,094), Perodua Viva (406,995), Perodua Rusa (34,822) and the lowest sale, Nautica (489), he said.

Mustapa said the domestic automotive industry was a crucial and strategic sector which could help accelerate the industrialization of a country.

"Hence, the Government will continue to offer assistance and support to Proton and Perodua as they are national projects that contribute to the local automotive industry's growth," he added.